Article Reflection No. 88 (2/17/2024)

Article: “Montana Court Restricts Use of Groundwater for New Homes”

Reflection: 

In the article “Montana Court Restricts Use of Groundwater for New Homes,” journalist Christopher Flavelle reports on a recent court ruling that condemned state officials for not taking into account declining water supply for building new houses in Montana. This case stemmed from a housing proposal by Errol Galt, who received the state’s approval for 39 groundwater-using homes, Flavelle writes. Plaintiffs consisted of residents in the vicinity who were worried about the proposal’s implications for the already-strained water supply, evidenced by a local rancher who had difficulty sustaining her livestock with groundwater necessary for alfalfa growth, a crop that her cattle consumed. In addition to the ruling, the judge discovered that Montana’s current regulations for new development approvals transgressed the state legislature. With the current situation in Montana regarding groundwater and housing, economic implications include a potential rise in housing costs, according to Eugene Fraf, head of a homebuilding association that Flavelle sources.

This situation reflects on the balance between agricultural sustainability and urbanization. These two areas seem to clash often, especially when one feels encroached by the other, or vice versa. This only emphasizes the importance of who is at the decision-making table. If a decision-making table makes choices that impacts groups on both sides of the aisle, who should be part of that body?